Nov132013

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), outlined her economic priorities going into the Senate’s budget discussions during a hearing today with Jason Furman, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA). Klobuchar called for an end to the political brinksmanship that led to the government shutdown in October, stressing the need for bipartisan solutions to boost the economy and promote job creation while laying the groundwork for sustainable growth and deficit reduction.

“Today’shearing was a good opportunity to discuss some of the immediate actions we can take to boost our economy in the short term while laying a stronger foundation for growth in the long term,” Klobuchar said. “We need to pass commonsense legislation like the Farm Bill and immigration reform, and also focus on boosting exports, improving workforce training, and strengthening our infrastructure.”

Throughout the hearing, Klobuchar highlighted several immediate actions Congress could take to strengthen the economy and spur job creation, such as passing a five-year Farm Bill and the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation, which would reduce the deficit by $160 billion in the first ten years. She also emphasized the need for a responsible plan to reduce the deficit while upholding critical investments in areas like workforce training, export promotion and infrastructure improvements.

Klobuchar also used today’s hearing to stress the importance of bipartisanship in crafting a long-term budget plan. In September, she released a report showing that political brinksmanship surrounding the debt ceiling dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. economy.

In her role as JEC Vice Chair, Klobuchar has worked to find bipartisan solutions that strengthen the economy by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and exports while responsibly reducing the deficit. During the government shutdown, Klobuchar was part of the bipartisan group of 14 Senators that worked together to craft the bipartisan framework to reopen the government and ensure our country paid its bills.